After 23 years of running the tire shop at the Whitney’s Chevrolet in Montesano, Ron Belcher is closing up his tool box for the last time, sort of.

He and his wife are moving to Neilton to live closer to his son, Ron Jr. He’s a lieutenant with the Quinault Nation Tribal Police Department.

“There’s a big shop up there, big enough to drive a semi in,” the elder Belcher said. “So I might be doing some side work. I’m taking my tool box, and I’ll be working on some stuff up there, but not a lot.”

He plans on fishing and hunting and “living off grid.”

“All I have to do is get rid of the phone and nobody else can get ahold of me again,” he said.

But there are parts of Montesano he says he will miss.

“I’m gonna miss people here. I’m gonna miss my customers,” he said. “Now they can trust Harry (Thayer), he’s good at his job.”

Belcher will be training Thayer until the end of August.

Harry Thayer, right, is training to take over the Whitney’s Chevrolet tire shop in Montesano after Ron Belcher retires at the end of the month. Belcher ran the tire shop for 23 years. (Aug. 10, 2018)